System Shock: Enhanced Edition

Man, what a game. System Shock Enhanced Edition was a game I picked up for a few bucks on a whim, thinking since everyone bangs on about the sequel, so what's the first one like? Well, it's definitely got its quirks such as how you attack and interact with items in the world as well as reloading, so fair warning this game is kind of clunky. With all that aside, this was easily one of my favourite games of all time. I absolutely love the setting, the chunky graphics and saturated audio that just oozes 90's charm. The story is such an interesting take on a "doom clone" in that Shodan knows roughly where you are and what you're trying to do, and is very intent on stopping you by any means necessary. This can come in the form of some truly cruel traps. I have never had a game behave with such hostility towards the player and I love it. You never know what trump card Shodan has ready to play, as soon as you think you have an edge over them the rug can be pulled out from under you. It makes for an unmatched atmosphere even with it being an old title. In terms of the actual mechanics (walking, shooting, interacting) it definitely shows its age, but I really enjoyed the weapons they gave me access to. I think there are over ten. You also get a lot of tech upgrades giving you access to sprinting, a shield, jump jets and so on. The player can take advantage of these by going back to earlier levels to explore using these tools. In terms of getting the game to run, it was pretty simple, I seemed to have crashing issues with Vulkan/Borderless modes so I just stuck to what worked on my rig. I can't see it being a difficult title to get running, even on the least powerful computer in your home. All in all I had a blast playing through this and can't wait for the remake. If you see it on sale for a few bucks I would highly recommend it if you like immersive sims, sci-fi survival horror and games that don't hold your hand very much, allowing you to explore at your pace.

Having tried to play the first System Shock recently only to be frustrated by the controls which a reminiscent of the Ultima Underworld games I picked this up as soon as it was advertised. Definitely a great game now that the controls have been modernised and mouse look has been included. The game now has a sensible resolution making it much easier to play for long periods and it looks less like Minecraft. Visually the only downside is the 2.5d sprites which are still fairly pixelated and obviously look like cardboard cut outs but the overall atmosphere and improved gameplay of the Enhanced Edition more than make up for this. Stellar soundtrack, good sound design and a unique blend of adventure, fps and horror components.

Still as good as ever! Truly a milestone of video gaming and great ambiance (read all the logs). Musics are cool too. For new players I really recommend to discover it. For others, it's worth a replay ;) The enhanced controls really make it a joy to play, it's less clunky than the old interface. I used video mode 854x480, 1024x768 is also available but it doesn't cover the screen as much. One important thing with controls: For some reason on my system, the right click for attack was slower (like not all clicks would trigger a shot), so, for optimum damage with the I had to use Enter key to shoot instead of the mouse. This wasn't really a problem with regular weapons but it was mandatory to use Enter in cyberspace as the pulser can shoot a lot faster.

...I found it interesting and captivating till the end. If you never played the original but played a lot of 90s games, try this one!

System Shock is an older game that has aged like a fine game. The gameplay has features, that might take some time to get used to, but after a while it feels almost natural, like you're having a dream of playing a game: it feels odd, but familiar, and you have to focus really hard or everything falls apart. It gets easier little by little, but playing System Shock still feels a bit off, like the character you're playing as (the Hacker) is a bit drunk (although he has just woken up from a 6 month long healing coma and has had nothing to drink or eat after that, so maybe he's just tired). The writing is good, sometimes great. I liked the story, it was rather simple and linear, but well constructed and the pacing was good. Voice acting ranged from intern-level to god-like. Shodan is propably the best sci-fi villain in any human media. Shodan is always up to something and is not shy about it. Shodan hates you and wants you to know it. I need that Shodan energy more in my life. What a great character and a great adversary. Citadel station is full of interesting details and cool design. It feels like a very functional place. Voice messages, notes and environmental clues makes it feel lived in. The grapichs are a bit rough sometimes, but that shouldn't be a problem, if you have a working imagination. Some thing are nastier when they exist mostly in your mind. Cyberspace had some cool music (as well as the rest of the game), but I felt like it was the least enjoyable part of the game. The ending was quite abrupt, but I guess it made sense storywise. Now I'm just sad the game is over. I've been having dreams about this game lately, so it propably won't let me go. I'm an insect caught in Shodan's web. I'm not sure, if I want to escape.